Be In The Know Blog

It's no secret that consumers are increasingly tied to their mobile devices, and while some business owners may look at this trend and shake their heads, thinking that this movement toward digital spells eventual doom for their physical business, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, data recently released by Google shows that mobile search is driving consumers to stores in physical, trackable ways. How can you make sure that your business is taking full advantage of this trend? Here's how to attract customers using mobile search:

When it comes to auto dealer marketing, these days, the first rule is not to talk about the dealership. According to a new study from Google, a customer can make as many as 900 digital interactions in the lead-up to purchase. By comparison, the same customer will only visit two dealers in the process.

This doesn't represent an entirely new way of doing business. Dealerships have long known that customers can take months to process a car-buying decision. But with the ease of information readily available on mobile, consumers are now researching while standing in line at the grocery store, waiting to pick up their kids or over lunch. Getting those customers in the door is a matter of how you interact with them in the micro-moments during the path to purchase.

When Google tweaked its algorithm last year, causing online retailer Wayfair to move from a top-five position in keyword search rankings to number one across a number of categories, the company discovered a stunning data bump. By moving higher up on the first page of results, the company saw an incredible 34 percent increase in conversions, according to Search Engine Land.

The conclusion is simple: Search rankings are critical to any business, and with Google offering local search results along with traditional search content, local SEO is more important than ever. Climbing the ladder in these rankings takes time, especially as you climb closer to the top where competition is most fierce. Improvements are entirely possible, as long as you know the right steps to take.

With local search optimization, there are several ways you can take action to make a difference early. Here are a few to build a strong, localized search foundation.

Google's launch of the Google My Business (GMB) API last year reiterated how important local search is to its algorithms, and it gave businesses a new way to organize and present their brands and locations on Google search and Google Maps. Take a look at what it can do for your SEO strategy.

Greater Importance on Local SEO

These days, a directory listing is much more than an address and phone number — it helps you to increase your overall visibility. You can provide maps, directions, opening hours, business descriptions, website and social links, ratings and reviews that allow consumers to engage with your business. According to Mashable, Google is used for more than 100 billion searches each month, and more than half of those searches are performed on mobile devices. GMB's API's emphasis on local directory listings can help get your GMB listing rank even higher in mobile search than your own website's listing. For local businesses, appearing on a Google map is key, especially on mobile, as it gives the user immediate access to all the information they need — and it's all easily loaded into Google Maps or a GPS app. Adding this to your overall SEO strategy will go a long way toward building awareness and increasing your visibility.

In today's always-on, hyperconnected world, it is simply not enough just to have a digital presence. It requires almost no effort to just have a website and maybe a social media profile or two, but in order to really reach consumers, it is essential that you connect with them in as many ways as possible, using all of the tools at your disposal. Not sure where to start? Here's your digital presence checklist:

1. Do You Have a Responsive Website?

Google recently published a report that suggests that over two-thirds of websites are using responsive design — but Marketing Land suggests that they might be considering a skewed sample. No matter what the actual statistics are, the fact is that your business needs to be optimized for mobile. The Web is shifting more and more toward the mobile platform, and the fact is that businesses that don't adapt to this changing landscape now risk being left in the dust later.

Plumbing is one of those on-demand services that consumers don't really research until something goes wrong. However, the second a toilet starts leaking or a pipe starts making funny noises, they take immediate action. A study reported in Search Engine Land shows that more consumers are responding affirmatively to ads on their mobile devices and that more consumers are searching local business listings when they're on the go. Plumbers are in a particularly strong position to take advantage of this behavior, and there are some concrete ways to get consumers to call you before your competitors.

In Tampa, digital marketing trends are creating new opportunities for small and midsize businesses. Thanks to advances in GPS technology, users can find and interact with brick-and-mortar businesses like never before. This can lead to increased profits for business owners who are ready to experiment. However, if you don't have a background in new technology, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are some tips for Tampa Bay Area businesses.

In order for a business to be successful in today's digital world, it has to have a strong online presence. In fact, according to Entrepreneur, 2.5 billion people log onto the Internet every day. This constant activity provides online marketers with a multitude of opportunities to attract new potential customers. Here are some tips for getting found online.

Content Strategy

Whether you own a dog walking service, a coffee bar or a gym, a solid content marketing strategy plays an important role in your company's online presence. By providing valuable, targeted content, you can naturally boost your search engine rankings. Furthermore, you can establish yourself as a trusted resource and a leader in your field, which will help you attract new potential customers.

Research from Google shows that local mobile search may actually be more important than previously thought, especially when it comes to conversions within a short window of time. According to the research, 50 percent of consumers who conduct a local search on their smartphone will visit a corresponding store within a day, and 18 percent of those searches will lead to a purchase within 24 hours.

Though this type of broad research can apply to almost any business, it's particularly important for restaurants. According to Google, "nearly half of people won't search for a restaurant until within an hour of going. That number jumps to almost 60 percent for millennials." But while having a mobile digital site is incredibly important for restaurants looking to attract these types of spur-of-the-moment consumers, it isn't enough to fill booths and tables ahead of the dinner rush. Here are three tips on how to maximize the impact of local mobile search.

Yelp continues to prevent businesses from soliciting positive online reviews, but the website has created a new incentive for checking in to businesses that could provide an indirect path to better online reputation management.

According to Marketing Land, Yelp will now let businesses provide "check-in offers" to customers. It's a simple setup: businesses can give their customers small rewards, such as coupons or other gifts, in exchange for checking in through the app. In a roundabout way, this creates an opportunity for brands to get reviews that boost their online reputation.